2014 Jaguar XFR-S Debut

Too much horsepower is never enough.

2014 Jaguar XF Research

What's New

Jaguar has varying levels of speed and power: The base Jaguar XF (240 horsepower), the XF V-6 (340), the XF Supercharged (470), and the XFR (510) that was intended to do battle with the likes of the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. But that isn't enough anymore, so Jag's releasing an even wackier version of its midsize sports sedan with 550 horsepower, and calling it the XFR-S. The car will have wider wheels, bigger brakes, and generally looks to outdo everything Jaguar has in production now--except for the equally powerful XKR-S.

Who It's For

For some people, 550 horsepower just isn't enough, but it really has to do. No one has made a production sedan with 600 horsepower…yet. Luxury automakers from Cadillac with the CTS-V, BMW M5, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG with the Performance Pack have all elevated the sports sedan game, forcing Jaguar to catch up some and offer its own take on the super sedan. At $99,875, including $875 for destination and handling, the XFR-S sits comfortably with the German competitors, giving discerning drivers another choice. But unlike the other ones, Jag is only offering the XFR-S to 100 lucky owners in the U.S., far and away undercutting rival supplies.

Key Features

With the price comes added exclusivity and performance from the 5.0-liter supercharged V-8. Other features include:

Deeper front intakes in the bumpers, framed in carbon fiber.

20-inch Varuna alloy wheels exclusive to the XFR-S.

An 825-watt, 18-speaker Meridian audio system.

And it's worth restating: 550 horsepower.

What We Think

With the BMW M5 serving as the thoroughbred of the sports sedan pack, the CTS-V as the one you'd actually put on a racetrack, and the Mercedes-Benz as the German take on a 1960s American muscle car, it leaves very little room where the XFR-S might be needed, except in that might be one of the best all-arounders for schlepping along. It has a traditional eight-speed automatic instead of some racecar-like dual-clutch setup.

Its key selling point appears to be effortless speed and luxury. Couple that with the fact that Jaguar is only importing 100 to the U.S., and we think it'll sell out in no time. Because no one takes six-figure sedans on the track anyway.